1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an image forming apparatus. More particularly, the present general inventive concept relates to a developing apparatus to develop images and an image forming apparatus having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional image forming apparatuses forms images on a printing medium and includes a developing apparatus to form electrostatic latent images, according to a printing order, and then, develops the electrostatic latent images into images on the printing medium using toner.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional developing apparatus.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional developing apparatus 1 includes a mainframe assembly 10 to hold a photosensitive medium 12 on which images are formed, a cleaning assembly 20 to remove used toner from the photosensitive medium 12, and a cover 30.
The mainframe assembly 10 includes a mainframe 11, a photosensitive medium 12, a developing roller 13, a toner regulating member 14, left and right side plates 31 and 32, and a sealing member 16.
The mainframe 11 is formed to hold the photosensitive medium 12, the developing roller 13, the toner regulating member 14, and has opposite opened sides. Each of the opposite opened sides is closed by the left and right side plates 31 and 32. The left and right side plates 31 and 32 support the photosensitive medium 12 and the developing roller 13 to rotate.
The photosensitive medium 12 is rotatably disposed at a lower portion of the mainframe 11, and electrostatic latent images are formed on a surface of the photosensitive medium 12 by a laser beam emitted from an exposure unit (not illustrated). A charging roller 15 is disposed above the photosensitive medium 12 to charge the photosensitive medium 12.
The developing roller 13 is disposed at a side of the photosensitive medium 12 to supply with toner, thereby developing electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive medium 12. The toner regulating member 14 is disposed in contact with the developing roller 13 to regulate an amount of toner that is supplied by the developing roller 13. Toner is stored in a space 17 between the toner regulating member 14 and the mainframe 11. The sealing member 16 is disposed between the mainframe 11 and the cover 30 to protect toner from leaking from the mainframe 11.
The cleaning assembly 20 includes a cleaning frame 21 and a cleaning member 23. The cleaning member 23 is disposed at the cleaning frame 21 to remove used toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive medium 12. The cleaning frame 21 has an inner space that receives the used toner removed by the cleaning member 23.
Hereinafter, an operation of the conventional developing apparatus 1 having a structure as described above will be described.
When a printing operation starts, the charging roller 15 applies a predetermined voltage to the surface of the photosensitive medium 12. When the photosensitive medium 12 receives power from a power transmitting unit (not illustrated) to rotate, a laser beam emitted from the exposure unit (not illustrated) forms electrostatic latent images on the charged surface of the photosensitive medium 12.
When the photosensitive medium 12 continues to rotate, toner supplied by the developing roller 13 develops the electrostatic latent images into images. At this time, toner is stored in the space 17 of the mainframe 11 at a side of the developing roller 13.
A transferring unit (not illustrated) transfers the images onto a printing medium supplied by a printing medium feed unit (not illustrated). When images are transferred onto a printing medium by the transferring unit, some of toner that forms the images may not be transferred onto the printing medium so as to remain on the surface of the photosensitive medium 12. The toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive medium 12 is referred to as used toner. The used toner that remains on the photosensitive medium 12 is removed from the photosensitive medium 12 by the cleaning member 23, and then, is collected in the inner space of the cleaning frame 21. The photosensitive medium 12 having used toner removed is re-charged by the charging roller 15, and then, repeats the above described procedure.
After transferring the toner onto the photosensitive medium 12, the developing apparatus 1 uses the cleaning assembly 20 to clean the used toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive medium 12. Accordingly, the photosensitive medium 12 is cleaned well so that it can produce good quality images in the future.
However, in the conventional developing apparatus 1, the cleaning assembly 20 that removes used toner and holds the removed used toner is formed in an independent part with respect to the mainframe assembly 10 that stores and supplies toner. In other words, the mainframe 11 to hold toner and the cleaning frame 21 to hold the used toner are separately formed. As a result, the cleaning assembly 20 is assembled during a separate assembly process from an assembly process of the mainframe assembly 10.
To form the cleaning assembly 20, the conventional developing apparatus 1 is provided with the cleaning frame 21 separated from the mainframe 11 thereby increasing a number of parts thereof.
Also, the cleaning assembly 20 is assembled into a sub-assembly through a separate assembly process, and then, is assembled with the mainframe assembly 10, thereby increasing assembling time. As a result, the conventional developing apparatus 1 has a high manufacturing cost.